Obituary of Johanne Miriam Hedges

Johanne Miriam Hedges passed away peacefully on February 25, 2023 at age 90. Johanne could best be described as a spirited lady who had chutzpah, was fiercely loyal to her family and lived a remarkable life! Born in Jaffa, Israel (then Palestine), to unmarried, Jewish parents who gave her up, Johanne was adopted by Lydia Christensen, a Christian missionary who had come to Jerusalem from Denmark. Lydia took in homeless children and eventually Johanne was one of eight “sisters.” Johanne witnessed the 1948 birth of the State of Israel and the conflict that followed. One day she happened to overhear members of the Arab Legion outside the family's house. They were planning to come that night to harm the family. Johanne alerted her parents and the family stole out of the house that evening and fled into Jerusalem. They hunkered down in the basement of an abandoned house while the fighting raged around them. Shortly afterward Johanne and family immigrated to England. Lydia and her husband, Derek Prince, started a church in London and Johanne was the piano player. She met and married George Hedges and they moved to Kenya, East Africa to do mission work there. Kenya was experiencing the Mau Mau Rebellion, which was a dangerous time for the white, English there. Johanne told the story of how a Maasai warrior was hired to guard the farmhouse where she was living when George was away. After Kenya got independence from England the Hedges (George, Johanne, and sons, Stephen, Jonathan, and Vaughan) moved back to England; then immigrated to Canada, and later to the USA. After George's death in 1971 Johanne remained a widow for a number of years; during that time she raised her granddaughter and became involved with World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In 1988 Johanne married John Brammer and became stepmother to his four children. Johanne is preceded in death by her first husband, George Hedges, her sisters: Magdalene, Penina, and Ruth. Johanne is survived by her loving husband, John Brammer; sons: Stephen (Deborah) Hedges, Jonathan Hedges, Vaughan Hedges; daughter Elisabeth (Trey) Groves; her stepchildren: Anna Dennis, Mary Jones, Jane and Bill (Elaine) Brammer; grandchildren: Jeremy (Julie) Hedges, Philip Hedges, Lydia (Jeff) Barlow; and ten great grandchildren. Also five of her “adopted” sisters: Tikva (Australia), Kirsten (England), Elizabeth (England), Anna (USA), and Jesika (USA) Viewing hours for the public will be from 5:00 until 8:00pm on Friday, March 3 at Murfreesboro Funeral Home. There will be a service on Saturday, March 4 at 10:00am at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association in Johanne's name.